In this first volume of SSGC-ESEP, we show bulk sediment geochemistry of surface marine sediments from the continental margin off Chile (Southeast Pacific). The surface sediment samples were collected between 1962 and 2010 at span depths of 122 to 4500 meters and latitudes from 22°S to 45°S. The samples were obtained using multicorer (Sonne 102, Sonne 156, Sonne 211), gravity core (Sonne 161), and a Petersen grab (USNS Eltanin PG4). The data set summarised location of the sample, cm of sampling, measurements of total organic carbon, total carbon, total nitrogen, CaCO3, C:N, Opal (biogenic silica), carbon isotopes in organic carbon, nitrogen isotopes of bulk sediment, references and laboratory where the samples were measurement.

Methods: Total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN) contents of the bulk sediment were measured in the top cm of the sediment. For TN and TC the samples were encapsulated in tin capsules and measured in Heraeus-CHN elemental analyzer and a Thermo Scientific Flash 2000. Samples for TOC were decalcified in silver or tin capsules, using 6 N HCl, then dried on a hot plate at 80 ºC and measured in Heraeus-CHN elemental analyzer, Thermo Scientific Flash 2000. The precision of the analytical measurements for TOC and TN were ±0.2% and ±0.11%, respectively. Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) content was calculated from the total inorganic carbon content as CaCO3= (TC - TOC) * 8.333. The C:N ratio was computed as TOC/TN. Opal (Biogenic opal) was determined with a sequential leaching technique (DeMaster, 1981) modified by Müller and Schneider (1993).